Delhi High Court Denies Bail to Manipur Man in NIA Case

IMPHAL: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected bail to Moirangthem Anand Singh, arrested on charges of having links with rebel groups in Myanmar and for hatching a conspiracy to wage war against India by taking advantage of the ethnic agitations in Manipur.

The court underscored the seriousness of the allegations and the possible threat to national security if the accused were set free.

A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma held that release on bail for Singh could be a flight risk and raise the chances of witnesses being tampered with.

The court referred to the volatile atmosphere in Manipur and pointed out that his earlier release had already led to protests, worsening law and order in the state.

"Having regard to the volatile nature of the situation prevailing in Manipur and the conditions under which he was released on bail earlier, viz., the demonstrations, it can well be said that expansion of the appellant on bail would not only involve flight risk but also risk to witnesses being tampered with in the current case as also erosion of law and order," the bench noted.

The court highlighted that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had produced material evidence that proved a prima facie case against Singh. It said that the accused did not fulfill the requirements under the "tripod test" under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which examines the gravity of the offence, the threat of influence or tampering with the evidence of witnesses, and the possibility of flight by the accused.

Singh was arrested in September 2023 in Manipur and then taken to Delhi for interrogation. He was one of five people arrested by Manipur Police on charges of having weapons stolen from a police armoury.

The NIA, which filed the case on July 19, 2023, in Delhi, charged Singh with being involved in a "transnational conspiracy" hatched by Myanmar-based terror outfits to fight a war against the Indian government.

The NIA reported that the probe found the banned terror organizations recruiting cadres, overground workers, and sympathizers to bolster their forces. The agency asserted they were procuring weapons, ammunition, and explosives illegally, including by looting government establishments and resources, to target security forces and opposing ethnic groups.

The high court mentioned the riots that ensued after Singh's arrest, citing his strong influence in the area. "How the kind of serious law and order situation was generated in pursuit of his release itself reflects the kind of influence he commands in the region.

The tendency of such a situation being generated, i.e., assaults on police stations, pressure on local police officers, pressure on public prosecutors, pressure on the court, etc., is a cause for grave concern," the court said.

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